Process for separating gas from liquids



,.C.. F. W. TABLER PROCESS FOR SEPARATING GAS FROM LIQUDS Filed March 26. 1924 "ll`l11 June 9, 1925.

WITNESSES Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

yGIEIIAIRLES F. W. TABLER, 0F TA'MP'ICO, MEXICU.

PROCESS FR SEPABAIING GAS LIQUIDS.

- Application led March 26, 1924. Serial No, 702,117.

f gases either from stills or from the casing heads of oil wells andin which a refrigerating effect of the tgasoline vapors is employed for cooling thev *fluid during a step in the treatment when the vapors which have been under considerable pressure are expanded in chambers adjacent the conduits through which the fluids have previously passed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a process in which a step comprises simultaneously cooling and centrifugally separating' iiuids of different specific gravities.- n

A still further object of the inventionv 1s the provision of a process of utilizing the refrigerating effect of expanding .vapors of a lighter hydrocarbon for chilling and thus retarding the progress of the heavier portions of the fiuid principally gasoline'passing through the system for extracting gasoline.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a process for not only extracting the heavier hydrocarbon from the lighter hydrocarbon `but for eliminating'impurities such as sulphur crude oil andA other cooling matter by Centrifugal force and by washing with water slightly charged with hydrocarbon. Y

This invention `will be best` understood r from a consideration of the following de tailed description, in View of the accompanying drawing forming .a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which Shall de' fine no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.`

, The figure discloses more' or lessdiagrammatically an apparatus for carrying out the process according to the principles of my invention.

In carrying out this process it is necessary to first pass the lean gas through a centrifugal concentrator under 'its initial or delivery pressure of 20 lbs. or more. This concentrates the heavy constituents of the gas such as vgasoline vapors and their impurities, i. e., crude oil, gas, oil, dust, etc., and delivers themto'a compressor for further treatment, while the main portion or waste gases are discharged at this time.

The valuable gases and their heavy im-- purities leave the compressor at a pressure of 120 lbs. enter a second but much smaller centrifugal separator where they are freed of their heavy discoloring matter. `The clean vapors' are then cooled to substantially atmospheric temperature and the resulting gasoline, water and vremaining vapors are passed througha vertical 'column containing refrigerated water. Atl a point where these substances pass through the water they are broken up into minute particles by means of a screen. From the verp' tlcal refrlgerated washer the remaining' liquids and vapor are again passed through a vertical separator of long construction, but this time for further coolings, absorption and` agitation with the self-contained water, in order to precipitate the traces of sulphur still left .in the gasoline. A large amount of the remaining vapors are absorbed by the cold gasoline against which the heavier of the remaining gases are,Y

pressed on their journeyaround the spirals.

,'In this separator the liquids and precipitates formed are finally separated from the remaining gases. As the vliquids and gases pass through the vertical washing column and final separator they are cooled by the A liquid gasoline' being. allowed to expand in chambers enclosing said separator Aand washer. l

I wish-to state at this point that the utili- -zation of the refrigerant produced by the expanding gasoline from pressure for coolling and aiding in the absor tion of gasoline from its vapors; also t e centrifugal concentration of gasoline vapors in lean gases are important features in this process.

Referring more particularl to the drawings, 1v designates a vertical rum in which is placed a spiral 2 supported at its center by a rod 3 and has its peripherally curved edge in close contact or secured to the inner side walls of the druni' An inletfpipe 4 is .adaptedto be connected to a pipe line from the casing head of an oil well or from is a pipe or drum 5 of thesame diameter the piping connected with a natural gas well or the drum 1 may be connected to the piping from a still. I

Spaced from the lower end of the drumVV 1 as the drum 1 to form a peripheral outlet 6 for the lower endA ofthe centrifugal separater in the drum 1. This peripheral out'- let opens 'into a chamber 7 formed by weld- 1ng or securing in any approved manner a secured in close relation to the drum 5.

The bottom ofthe chamber 7 is hi her at one end than its` other Aend where let-29 isdisposed in orderto drain the cen- 4'trifugallyseparated `fluids and foreign mat-- ter into a plpe 10. .The lowerend ofthe drum 5- has a discharge outlet 11 which is' controlled by a -valve 12. The dry gas islpermitted to @SC3 e; from the outletv 11 1ny quantities which 1s regulated by the valve 12. The gas .dischargegfrom the outlet- 11 is utilize around the oil plant.

The pipe 10 leads directly to-theint-a'ke of-a compressor 13 so that the' pipe 10 is a vsuction' pipeand the va ors are forced foutwardlythrough the disc arge .pipe 14 lat no more than 120 pounds 'of ressure.. The vapors under pressureare orced through asecond centrifugal separator of less .ca-A pacity than separator 2 and in theshape of a `drum 15 having a spiral 16 which. causes a rotary motion ofthe gases, rich gasoline vapors andforeign matter,- and such foreign matter is thrown outwardly towardsv the walls of the drum-15and escape between the annularl opening 17 formed' by spacin the upper end of the Adrum '15 `from t e lower end of the pipe 18.

A casing 19 is secured to and embraces the adjacent end of the pipe 18 and the drum 15 forming a chamber 20 which col,- lects the discolorin matter which has been thrown outl centri ugally by the separator 16. This matter passes through the pipe 21 which is connected with an opening adja- 'cent the tilted bottom of the casing 19 with the pipe emptying into a reservoir 22. The upper end ofthe reservoir is connected by a pipe 23 with the pipe or drum 18 and any ases and vapors which have passed ,t rough the ipe 21 into the reservoir 22.

escape vthrong the pipe k23 and issue from the 4nozzle 24 into the 'outlet of the pipe or drum 18 and where lsaid outlet is con-V nected to cooling coils 25. The aspirating effect of `the. vapors passing upwardly througlh a slig t difference in pressure between the e out.

. arator.

34 of like diameter to the center of the separator 15 ,and

reservoir 22 vand chamber 18, aids in drawingl the vapors and gases from the reservoir 22. The pressure in reservoir 22 is slightly greater than in chamber 18,

kThe coils 25 are cooled by :water being a fine mesh screen 30 formed at the bottom of the stand pipe 29 whereby they are broken up into minute articles so that the vapors will be'thoroug ly washed as they reach the top and are discharged through the connectionBI-'to a third centrifugalv sprayed from a trough-26flocated directly separator in the drum 32.l The pressure of the vapors against the head of water in` the stand pipe. 29' is suicient to .maintain the water in Vsaid-pipe.` Some sulphur is precip1tated by the washing in stand pipe 29 before enteringthe last centrifugal sepj The drum32 containsva spiral track 33 which causes fthe gases to be carried downwardly'to the lower end of the drum wherev said 'drum is spaced from a second drum rovide an annular port- 35 for permitting tlecondensed vapors which contain gasoline, excess water and precipitated sulphur, to pass into a chamber 36 formed by roviding a partition 37 between thewal sv of the drum 32 and an embracing drum 38.

The bottom of the chamber 35 is inclined and at its lower end. isprovided withv an openlng embraced by the inner end of a disc arge conduit 39. This conduit permits the gasoline, precipitated sulphurand water to pass into' a chamber 40 having an outlet ipe 41 projecting into a storage tank v42. T is stora e tank, because ofthe accumulation ofthe water which is condensed from the gas and the. vapors vcollecting in said reservoir, must be emptied at least every eight hours or otherwise the water would fill in and back up into the gasoline discharge pi 43 and into the refrigeratingr chamber 44 tween the-outer drum 38 and the inner drum 32. A f

Floating pon'the to of the water collected in thel tank 42 is fbund the remaining impuritles in the.. form of sulphur compounds and gasoline' above the impurities in tlirou h the opening of an expansion valve 46. hen 'the gasoline under pressure is.

admitted to the chamber 44 it is permitted to expand and due to its expansion reduces the temperature to such an extent that the vapois passing through the drum 32 are chilled and the condensed gasoline and impur1ties collect upon the innerwalls of the drum. 32 and are carried downwardly and discharged through the annular opening 35 into the chamber 36. The vapors and gases paing through the drum 32 are exposed to the cold centrifugally separate portions on the cold walls of the separator in the drum 32. p

The gasoline then passes through a con'- nection 47 into the chamber 48 formed between the .stand pipe 29 and the embracing drum 49 where it is employed for chilling. the Water in the sta-nd pipe 29. A pipe 50 connected' with the chamber 48 carries the gasoline to a storage tank 51- located at any convenient point.

The chamber 40 has a valve connection- 52 with the lower end of the drum 32 where the lower end of said drum is connected with adischarge conduit 53. The small quantity of the remaining dry gases from the drum 32pass through the conduit 53 through the conduit 54 to a casing 55 which y embraces the-pipe 28. The gases expanding er1)r effected.

in the casingaid in further cooling the vapors and gases after they have left the cooling coils 25. The inal Waste gases are discharged through the outlet 56 and Such gases are carried to any convenient point for utilization as b burning in the furnaces or for heating boi ers for the'generation of steam.

A valve 57 formed in the pipe line 54 where said pipe is connected with thecasing 55 is adapted to control the said pressure or rather maintain the pressure in the pipe 54 and in all the sections of the system preceding .said conduit. When the valve 57 is opened the gases under pressure are allowed to expand in the casing55 and thereby aid in reducing the temperature of the vapors passing through the conduit 28.

- It must be borne in mind that itis desirable to provide a rotary motion in order to cause the centrifugalv action to discharge at all times in each separator the heavier hydrocarbons or 'condensed vhydrocarbons and impurities along4 the walls of the Adrums en'- closing the separator, b ut it is especially desirous to form the spirals in such a'mann'er as to avoid any eddyin currents,'otherwise the centrifugal separation will not be prop-` The process set forth in the a paratus just described is adapted to be'su ituted for the use of the well known absorption plants which arenemploye'd .for'the lpurpose of removing gasoline from naturalgases or the casing head, gas and-which gases are I el usually lean in gasoline content.

In the centrifugal separator within the drum 32 the linal separation, and condensation of the gasoline vapors is had. It. is at this point that an gasoline vapors still contained in the limlted quantity of gases passing through such separator come into contact with the chilling surfaces of the drum 32 and as they are rotated underpressure in immediate contact with the cold surface of the drum and also the cold liquids on the walls of the separator, all the gasoline that remains in the vapors is removed and dischargedinto .the chamber 40. I 'claim:-

1. A process for extracting gasoline from gases, which comprises centrifugally separating and eliminating the greater and dry portion from the heavier portions carried by said gases under low pressure, increasing the pressure of the concentrated gases and again centrifugally separating and el iminating discoloring vmattei' from the gases, washing and cooling said gases, further chilling said concentrated gases -while centrifgally separating the gasoline and foreign matter froin the remaining gases, expanding the separated gasoline for chilling the concentrated gases and gasoline when being Washed and during the final stages of the centrifugal separation of the gasoline from said gases.

2. Alprocess for extracting gasoline from gases, by placing the gases under pressure, forcing the gases under pressure through a stationary spiral path for separating and eliminating a greater portion of the gases from-the heavier gases, forcing the concentrated portionsthrough a second spiral path for separating discoloring matter from the gases,v `cooling the same under pressure,

washingand chilling. the concentrated por- A tion, further chilling said portions while forcing same under pressure through a verf tical column of chilled water to a further chilled centrifugal absorbing agitator and separator, expanding the separated gasoline centrated gases `and simultaneously cooling,

agitating in chilled water and' forcing same through further chilled absorber with spiral path where they are separated from the produced gasoline and water.

.4. A process fpr extracting gasoline from gases, which comprisesA forcing the gases under pressure through a long drum having a suitable spiral path telescoped within gases 'under pressure through a continuous spiral path for centrifugally separating the greater and dry portion of the gases from the heavier and wet portion of the gases, increasing the pressure `of the wet portion, cooling, Washing, chilling and agitating same with the self-contained Water from steam vapors in a spiral agitator, separating the produced gasoline from the remaining gases, allowing said gasoline under pressure to expand in the cooling jacket of said spiraled agitatorand absorber, for chilling the Wet gases under treatment.

6. A process for extracting gasoline from gases which comprises forcing the gases.

under their natural pressure through a cen` trifugal concentrator 1n order to concentrate the small and rich portion of the gases, cen- A trifugally removing the discoloring matter from this small and concentrated portion of gases under the same initial pressure cooling, washing in chilled column of water, further chilling the concentrated portions by passing the same through the spiral path and absorber, separating the li uid gasoline and allowlng same to expan 1n cooling jackets in closeassociation with the spiral path and water column, allowing dry portions of the gases still under initial pressure to expand for cooling the concentrated gases during the process.`

7. A process for extracting gasoline from gases which comprises passing the gases under their low delivery pressure through a spiral path to concentrate the small andv rich portion of the gases, eliminating the greater and dry portion of the gases, further compressing the small, concentrated portion of gases, removing discoloring matter centrifilgally, cooling, Washing in chilled water, furthe-r chilling in centrifugal agitating absorber and separating the gasoline under pressure, allowing said gasoline to expand in close association With the centrifugal agitating absorber and chilled -Water column respectively for causlng refrigeration of the concentrated gases in said units and allowing the remainder of the small portions of gases still under pressure to expand for cooling the concentrated portions olrtheir Way to the absorber and column of water.

CHARLES F. WTABLER. 

